Quick answer: 12 butterfly and moth host plants are native to Alaska, 8 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
12 species
- Balsam poplar Populus balsamifera · 8 states
- Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi · 34 states
- Bog Labrador tea Ledum groenlandicum · 11 states
- Canada wild rye Elymus canadensis · 37 states
- Fireweed Chamerion angustifolium · 37 states
- Mountain avens Dryas octopetala · 1 states
- Nootka rose Rosa nutkana · 1 states
- Pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea · 38 states
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · 39 states
- Red-osier dogwood Cornus sericea · 36 states
- Shore pine Pinus contorta · 1 states
- Western redcedar Thuja plicata · 1 states
Butterfly and moth host plants in Alaska: what to know
12 of the 40 plants native to Alaska in this directory fit this need: 30% of the state's list, above the 23% share across all species.
Between them they flower from March through October, with the most in bloom in June. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 12 are also good for pollinators, 6 are also shade-tolerant, 6 are also drought-tolerant.
10 of them grow in full or partial sun and 6 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Mountain avens and Pearly everlasting to trees such as Balsam poplar and Bearberry. For wildlife, 12 support pollinators, 5 provide food or cover for birds and 12 are caterpillar host plants.
8 of the 12 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species.
Good places to start
Verified wild-species listings that take sun and are widely native, so they are forgiving first plants.
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Mar-Jun
- Pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Jun-Oct
- Canada wild rye Elymus canadensis · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Mar-Jun